I Know
by aleey
Summary: Stricken with an unavoidable and incurable ailment, Aragorn has to learn to live without the one person he loves the most. But, how will he do it? AA, possibly A? Enjoy.


PJPrincess: Ok, if you're looking for an explanation to where this came from, I have no friggin' clue. I was walking up the steps to my room in the attic, and POOF! My imagination just sort of begain whirring with ideas. Well, hope ya'll like it.  
  
JunoTechnoKid: I DO!  
  
PJPrincess: That's because you're in love with me.  
  
JunoTechnoKid:....... So?  
  
PJPrincess: Pfft. Read on!!  
  
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Title: I Know  
  
Rating: PG?  
  
Summary: Stricken with an unavoidable and incurable ailment, Aragorn has to learn to live without the one person he loves the most. But, how will he do it? A/A, possibly A/? Enjoy.  
  
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Unsteady feet wavered over the solid ground beneath them as, in long strides, the owner paced over the floor. In contrast to his darkened expression, a bright light from the sun streamed in through the three windows on opposite walls, brightening the room as if to try and lighten his spirit. He wouldn't allow it, and balled his fists in rage and fury, eyes remaining on the doorway across the room. Softly, as if the light had finally had its effect on his poorly pitied soul, he sobered his breathing and allowed his countenance to soften to plain worry - worry for his beloved wife, Arwen.  
  
"Aragorn." The name rolled off the intruder's tongue in his Elvish accent, bringing Aragorn's attention to his face. Elrond, Arwen's father, stood before Aragorn, standing errect and staring deeply into Aragorn's face, eyes searching to meet with the younger man's soul. They both knew what was going to be said, and neither wanted to believe it. They wished to rebuke and remove it from their lives - causing them to live in the peace that had been in previously.  
  
Words were not drawn from Aragorn's lips as he spun on his heel, keeping his attention elsewhere but the door that led to his wife. He strode a few steps, stopped in anger, then strode a few more and stopped. He lifted his head up and stared at the tree's kissed with the radiance of the sun, envying their lack of misery. They themselves only had to live with smaller things, such as bugs or to much rain or sun. They didn't have loves that were given illness that could not be cured, they had no relatives to speak of.  
  
He felt foolishness bawl its way down from his mind to his gut as he even fathomed the thought of tree's having relatives and feelings toward others of their kind. Why was he avoiding the conflict at hand? He needed to stand in front of and face it like the man inside that he knew he was. He needed to do it for Arwen, to show her he was still strong enough to be King and her love.  
  
Still, he could not forbid the thoughts that evaded his mind. His words protruded forth from his lips before he could even think against them, taking them back mentally as soon as they'd pierced forth.  
  
"Lord Elrond, this can not be happening. My love can not be under such emotional and physical stress that this has burdened her. Why, why is this happening?" He finally brought himself to stare upon his elder's face, examining the firmness and kindness that veiled over his thin features. Matted to his face, he curled his lips upward in a rather befitting smile of reassurance to his son in law.  
  
"Aragorn, I know how your spirit is wild like this. It is the anger of you that helps you fight so bravely in battles, and I am sure that you realize the seriousness of this matter." His lips tightened again, drawing his face to a still expression. His eyebrows arched slightly as he continued what he was determined to say. "I do not wish ill upon her life either, Aragorn."  
  
Fidgeting uncomfortably, Aragorn's fingers ran over his rugged face and through his hair, himself taking the time to think about what Elrond was saying. He knew it to be true, and was having one of the hardest times realizing that he had to be positive and truthful to himself before he could even dare face his wife.  
  
"You are allowed to see her, now. She's beckoned for you to be at her side ever since she was awake." Elrond's expression softened again as he walked closer to Aragorn, within touches reach. Gently, his hand rested upon the younger's shoulder as a reassuring gesture, and he brought his eyes to meet Aragorn's before continuing. "I trust you to be positive in her presence, she is already far from being able to hold it all together. She needs your support in her last few moments of life."  
  
Aragorn melted at the thought of having to see her in her state of depression and pain, and allowed his eyes to meet Elrond's. How could he do such a thing without allowing his expressions give away his pain and negativity toward the situation? Surely she would know by just the way he spoke to her.  
  
Elrond removed his hand from Aragorn's shoulder and allowed him to walk toward the door, thoughtfully following his movements and reading his unbalanced body language as he manuevered his way over to the door. Aragorn's walk was the walk of a sad man that had been stolen from - but he was in the same boat.  
  
The wooden door opened slowly and Aragorn slid his body into the room, uncomfortable with the very presence of the room itself. It was damp and dreary in the room, but he tried to through a mop whisper of joy through his voice as it deepened soothingly in the direction of Arwen.  
  
"Arwen." He knelt himself beside her frail body that lay upon the bed. Unfocused eyes stayed in only one position, lifted to the ceiling and non moving. They rolled for a moment, as if searching for her husbands voice, but soon retired and took back to staring upon the ceiling.  
  
"Darling." She hummed in Elvish, causing Aragorn's body to limp unpleasantly. He loved her to much to not feel weak at her very voice filling the room - which it didn't do at the time. It shook with the unsteady beat of her soul emptying into it, causing him to wish further ill of her poisoned body.  
  
"My sight has been stolen, Aragorn." Another strong pierce to his heart. Emotions free-wheeled over his expression as he numbly brought his head above her and then rested onto her chest. He longed to hear the beating of her heart, the shake of her frail body beneath him as a reassurance that she was still there and not yet a figment of his imagination.  
  
The feel of his head upon her soothed her body, and her breathing slowed down to a calmy state. The sound of her beating heart rang in her own ears as well, and the mere thought that Aragorn enjoyed the sound of it thrilled her as well and she listened tentavely to the beating sound.  
  
"Arwen..." His voice shook with uncertainity. What could he say to her? How could he truly comfort her? His head lifted habitually and he tried to force his eyes into hers, but found nothing but a blank stare - the eyes of someone that had lost their sight and could no longer focus into the sea of gathered emotion in the opposite person's eyes. He choked, unable to pronunciate or even produce words any longer, tears drawn threatingly to his eyes.  
  
"Aragorn, I love you dearly." Her soft voice assured him. The lazy fingers of her right hand numbly reached up over his hair and down over his face, running over the lines in memorization. The rugged appearance on his face and the burnt and calloused skin caused her fingers pressure to intensify over his face as hard as it could. She smiled affectionately, the expression commondering her face for a good amount of time.  
  
"Dearest, look upon my face." The rough command was in a soft whisper as she could feel his stare finally come upon her face again, causing her limp smile to broaden. Even if she could no longer gaze upon his own face, she knew that having him gaze on hers was a very similiar action and she could think of the wonderful features of his face in her mind.  
  
Gently and soothingly, his darkened, plush lips met over her own thin, pale nose, planting a comforting kiss upon the tip. She knew that the only real limit of their affection physically was through saliva contact and neither of them felt the need to show such an affection in the time that they were experiencing.  
  
"I love you." He whispered sensatively, replacing his head her chest again, feeling it rise and sink with her constant breathing. No longer in control of his own emotions, he allowed his tears to roll down his loosened cheeks. Pain that had stayed bawled in his gut rolled down his cheeks in a bitter field of sobs. Sobs for his inability to have her gaze into his eyes, the inability to hear her voice, to see her face, to touch her skin and feel its warmth. He was being robbed of one of his only true joys in life - his love.  
  
"You are not losing my love for you." She whispered, her heart reaching out to his thoughts. "My love will always last in your heart and soul, and our memories together will dwell in your mind. I could never leave you, even if mortality caused you to choose another." Her hands limply drifted over his face again, and then to his hair, which she soothingly stroked her fingers through, reassuring him that she did, indeed, love him and would never allow herself to fade from his memory.  
  
"I know, I shall always love you." His head sank into her chest with his parting words, causing them to sink into both of their minds. He needed to realize that she did love him, and would always live him, no matter how far apart their worlds would be from one another.  
  
Her illness was no longer on his mind. All that filled his senses was her: Her smell, her body, her heart, her love for him. She was all he was thinking about, and at the moment, there were no imperfections: she was perfect. In this prospect of mind, they fell into a sleep from which one would not awaken.  
  
Only a few mere minutes seemed to have passed since Aragorn had drifted to sleep, but he knew that he had spent a few hours in a dreamless sleep, dwelling upon his love. He was being beckoned by someone that he did not long to hear.  
  
"Aragorn." Once again, his name rolled off the elderly man's tongue, causing Aragorn to give him full attention. Peaceably, he stood to his feet and gazed upon his lifeless wife, the tears that still remained in his soul threatening to venture out.  
  
There she was, his love, his pride and joy - lifeless.  
  
"I know." He whispered, gazing upon her features, and over her body. Her hand fell over the side of the bed and he grasped it, taking in the last bit of warmth it could provide for him. Tears were no longer threatening, they'd won the war and were now meandering over his cheeks. He sucked in a breath of air and regrettably repeated himself. "I know."  
  
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(A/N: I'm pretty much crying here myself, just writing this!)  
  
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A proper burely was planned and set forth, family members, friends, and distant relatives attended, offering their condolences to the family and each other. Arwen was a much adored and loved woman, so her death caused many of grievances amongst those that Aragorn and Elrond knew well enough.  
  
Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Gandalf attended this funeral. Each offered their own word of peace to Aragorn, offering them what they could to ease his aching heart. Hugs, words of encouragement and praise in honor of Arwen were lifted from each, and they each showed that they would willing give time to speak with him if he ever was in need of it. He was greatful for them, they all had such a wonderful impact on his life, and he knew well that he could depend on them.  
  
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Dreams seemed to be empty or luxurious, each night varying. He sometimes found her in his dreams, perfect as she had been with the exhileration of life. She spoke of her love for him and they evaded through each others minds, searching for their fondest memories - many of which they had together, others they had separate.  
  
Often, he found himself waking up to finding only a mere pillow in his arms, symbolizing that he'd dreamt of holding her yet again, only to be met with the harsh reality that he wasn't actually holding her, but falsely believing that she was in his arms. He could no longer feel tears and emotions ran rampant over his body as he attempted to pull himself together. The kingdom would of course be in danger if he didn't.  
  
Still, he needed to talk to someone. Many had offered their suggestions to him, but he knew of only one that he could depend upon and he planned on taking his friends attention.  
  
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PJPrincess: Dunno, if ya'll like it, then, well, review and tell me if I should continue. If ya'll don't, then, uh, review anyway and tell me why you didn't like it, or why I shouldn't continue.  
  
JunoTechnoKid: Lets just hope they like it, k??  
  
PJPrincess: 'Kay!  
  
Out. 


End file.
